


Lightning in a Bottle

by DollyPop



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Near Death, Pre-Canon, Teenagers, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-29
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-27 15:45:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8407456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DollyPop/pseuds/DollyPop
Summary: But, God help him, God help him, when she looked at him, more storm cloud than woman: when she hauled him up, determination in her only remaining eye, sharing her energy with him through a one sided resonance, jump starting his heart with every flicker of electricity she gave off– when she looked at him with blood and flesh on her face, ash upon her cheeks from the witch’s ruined body-God. She had never been more beautiful—in the way one finds every force of nature beautiful, both deadly and awe-inspiring and indescribable—than then.





	

> _“I want to see you as you are now: painted in flames, all peeling thunder. Be the lightning in me that strikes relentless.” ~Snow Patrol_

* * *

They were going to die out there and it was entirely his fault. He coughed wetly, bringing his free hand to his side as the witch cackled and sent him flying with another strike of her electricity. He groaned painfully as he rolled several feet, spots before his vision as he squirmed painfully. _Fuck_ , if he was right, and usually, he was, he might be experiencing minor pulmonary edema. He tried- tried so damn hard- please please _please_ \- to stand, to take a few steps forward, only to cough once more, feeling as though his throat was raw.

He nearly hurled, his head dizzy. And the laughter from around him was grating, humiliating, forcing him to bring his head up even if it felt as though his ears were stuffed with cotton and his very DNA was begging him to run.

He adjusted Marie in his grip, keeping her from her transformation with his wavelength.

‘Don’t you- don’t dare-‘ he began, speaking through their mental link, even as he bled out, even as she all but screamed.

‘Please! Please, you’ll die! Stein- Frank! _Please-_ ‘ she begged him, and he could feel the distress in the wavelength, hissing as he shifted his side once more, keeping them in resonance.

And Marie in her weapon form.

‘The safest place- stay in your- your weapon form-,’ he reasoned, struggling up to his knees, almost retching as he reared back slightly, watching the witch step forward casually. Regarding him, barely seventeen and so painfully _young_ , for a moment before she sent another shock through him, causing him to be forced back, once more.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. And to think- you children believed you could…what? Kill me? Swallow my soul?” she asked, before tipping her head back and cackling, the electric current that ran down her arms crackling in the very air.

Unagi Serpentis. They were foolish for running after her so soon. But Kami had been on the verge of defeating her own witch and Stein-

He was always such a sore loser, he knew. Marie yelled at him once more from her weapon form, but he hauled himself up, his chest heaving.  

“Aww,” the witch teased. “Precious. That you think you can still fight. Well. Let’s get that thought out of your pretty little head, hm?”

He spat in her direction, mind going a mile a minute as his undoubtedly cracked ribs ached with every motion. He noted that his saliva was red, something Marie must have realized as well, because her pleads only got more desperate- her frantic wavelength nearly splintering.

‘Franken! Franken, get _up_ and _run_ damnit! Plea-‘

‘Then what, Marie?’ he asked, as he brought her up before him, blood leaking into his eyes from a head wound, which accounted for his concussion. ‘My leg is broken. Where is there to run?’

‘Please! Please just let me-‘

‘You are to stay in your weapon form, Mjolnir. That is an order.’ He looked around. If he could just slam Marie against her chest-

But every time he’d tried that, it failed. Every plan, every attempt. He was too slow. Too _slow_. They had gone after that witch recklessly and he-

‘Please, Frank-‘

‘Shut up!’ he said, just as the witch cooed at his feeble attempts to stand, finally making her way before him, but just out of reach.

Toying with him. Nothing more and nothing less.

“It’s cute, that you thought you and that puny hammer could have stopped me. But you sure are fun!” she said, before opening her mouth and revealing crooked, jagged teeth that gleamed deadly in the poor light of the docks. A streetlamp flickered. “Let’s see who eats whom, hm?”

Stein used the moment to dive for her legs, shuddering his wavelength through Marie and all but begging for her to amplify it, but just as he swiped, the witch jumped up, making an offended noise.

“Insolent boy! And after I was going to make your death so swift!” she yowled, slamming her foot out to connect with his abdomen and sending him flying.

His back collided with the old, damp wood of some of the shacks located by the port, and he rolled to the side, wincing miserably. The death grip he had on Marie slackened momentarily, just enough to let her almost transform, jolting him.

“No-“ he started, curling his fingers tight around her handle, and she yelped when the wavelength he ran through her was off just enough to hurt her. But he couldn’t help it. He was going to-

He was going to die and he wouldn’t let Marie succumb to the same fate, too. For as long as he could, he would keep her in her weapon form. Keep her safe. His entire back was bruised: he was lucky nothing was dislocated. Not that he could tell, at least. Stein went to catalogue his injuries but-

It was too late. The split second he had for recovery had ended when the witch ran into the room, hauling him up in one solid motion and slamming him into the wall, making something rattle around in his chest. He coughed into her face as she lifted him higher, grinning and breathing her rancid breath upon his face.

“That was a nice try, _boy_. But, I’m afraid to tell you, you’re going to be- oh, what’s the phrase? Sleeping with the fishes?”

Stein kicked, but she pulled back just far enough to evade him.

“Ooooh, still got some strength left? That’s impressive,” she giggled, but he didn’t have the chance for a rebuttal before she pulled him close to her and then shoved him against the wall once more, hearing a crunch as he finally screamed. “There we go! I must admit, I was… _shocked_ you lasted this long.” The harsh chortle she let off at her own joke was lost on him. His head swam, vision all but blurred out as he hung limply in her grasp. Even Marie’s desperate calls weren’t really getting through to him.

‘I’m…sorry…Marie…I’m…s-s-‘

“Perhaps one more? Hm?” the witch asked, but this time, when she hit him against the wall, she made sure his head caught most of the impact, and her electricity ran through him a moment later, making every muscle in his body quake.

‘NO! NO! FRANK! FRANK, DO YOU HEAR ME?’ Marie screamed, and it was a sharp, painful shriek in his ears, entirely unfiltered as he was electrocuted.

“Now, just…stay in place? Mm, little boy? Oh, this could have been so much easier if you’d just _listened._ But nooo. The DWMA must always make things so difficult.” She sighed exaggeratedly, pouting as though she were truly offended, even as her eyes yellowed, and she split her mouth open once more. She let Stein go for just a moment, but only to snatch at a shard of glass by the side. When she lifted him, it was to stab the piece through his shoulder, right into the wood behind.

His pained yell made her smile. He could barely make it out as he coughed once more, blood dribbling from his nose. She repeated the same motion to his other shoulder before stepping back to admire her handiwork.

“Beautiful! Now, stay right there- oh, but where would you go? Silly me!” she remarked, rearing herself back before she slammed her foot into his stomach, making his insides runny. Marie howled from in her weapon form, screaming and pleading and begging for him to let her go, to stop the resonance, to let her _transform-_

But he was beyond reason. He-

He yowled when the Eel Witch kicked his arm, as well, shattering his wrist and-

And sending Marie flying.

“NO-“ he managed, but the Eel witch only kicked his other hand, giggling deep in her throat as she licked at her teeth. Slowly, one of her claws came out to his face, and he hissed when she dug it in, at least a few millimeters, carving a jagged line beneath his eye.

“You wouldn’t be able to do much with that little hammer anyway, sweetie,” she remarked, curving the wound to right under his ear. “You know, I rather like your eye. I think I’ll keep it.”

It was at that moment that she extended two fingers, the nails on them sharpened, and thin. “Hope you don’t mind,” Unagi whispered, watching him just on the verge of seizing. “Oh, what’s that? Not even a protest? Well- IF YOU INSIST-“ she yelled, throwing her arm back and jabbing her hand forward to catch-

To catch-

“ **I won’t let you hurt my Meister!”** Marie screamed, throwing herself between the witch and Stein, who had all but passed out, finally, _finally_ unable to hold up the resonance. And Marie had shifted the instant he had let her, the very _moment_ he’d released the control. His weak voice was barely heard as Marie grabbed onto Unagi’s arm, which was ram-rod straight, her fingers burrowed in Marie’s-

In her skull. Those were Unagi’s fingers in her eyesocket, and Marie was in too much shock to even notice the pain as the witch made a surprised noise. “Finally out of your cage, little hammer?” she whispered, and Marie stared at her hatefully with just one eye, the adrenaline in her body all but blocking out every thread of pain that wracked her body. “It’s a twofer, I suppose.”

“Not- not today. No-o-not–not today,” Marie said, chanting it on a loop as she brought her other hand to Unagi’s arm without any hesitation, running on muscle memory. The hold was weak, however, and Unagi laughed.

He could barely register anything. Couldn’t register anything. But he knew-

If he couldn’t stop her, even if everything he’d tried had been thwarted-

The worst thing anyone could ever do in their life was underestimate Marie. Stein knew that in his very soul, which was flickering, and weak. And Unagi merely wiggled her fingers within Marie’s eyesocket, watching the blood dribble down as Marie hissed, tightening her hold. Toying with her, too.

And he knew, deep in his soul, deep inside of him, he was safe, now.

“Oh? And I suppose you can stop me from digging my way into your little brain, hm, blondie? You kids are just so _amusing!_ Oh! Or should I just cook you?”

“Do it,” Marie whispered. “Just try-“ The Eel Witch laughed, but Marie only squirmed, digging the witch’s fingers deeper within her ruined eye socket before her voice raised to a hellish wail. “TRY!”

The electric charge was instantaneous, swift as a bolt of lightning, and the hum wracked through Marie’s entire body, making her scream herself hoarse, mixing with Unagi’s sharp laughter.

And then- oh, then-

Marie wasn’t the hammer of god for no reason.

When her soul absorbed the lightning, when the sparks shifted, changed owners, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly. What she _could_ pinpoint was when Unagi realized, when Marie’s fingers had formed a vice-grip on her arm, when she was stuck- fingers still in Marie’s skull, having rendered Marie’s left eye ruined: nothing but a bloody, mushy mess. But that didn’t matter. None of it mattered when the thunder jolted from Marie, when Unagi’s laughter turned to a shriek- when Marie’s scream turned into a death knell.

When it all turned.

From behind her, Marie felt Stein’s soul flutter limply, and she latched onto it with everything she had, feeling the current run through her and the witch- through Stein- being amplified and growing larger and larger.

Marie felt when the witch died. She knew it. She felt her muscles spasm different in her grip, she heard the shriek end, but she couldn’t stop. They were connected, her and the witch. She was going to eat her, after all.

And the lightning was inside of her, in her heart, within her _soul_ , and it wouldn’t stop- it couldn’t. It was sharp and crooked and jagged in her, it was angry, and burning, and Marie’s scream increased in pitch as Stein resonated with her, so one sided.

Unagi was a husk in her hold. The confident, powerful witch that had brought Stein to his knees- she was gone. But her body remained, and Marie could feel-

She could feel the flesh burn, bubbling in her grasp. She could feel her wavelength destroy the body, wanting to keep going until only ashes were left.

And when Stein managed to open his eyes, glasses long gone, all he saw- all he _could_ see, was Marie holding the withering, crumbling body in her grasp. And she was electric. She was lightning personified. She was a thunderstorm of a woman, the very embodiment of a hammer of god, come to bring justice upon those who have slighted her.

He opened his mouth, but nothing left. She wouldn’t have stopped even if she heard him, really.

And he thought it so fitting: that his last image was her. It was odd, to know he was dying. None of the wounds stung anymore, his voice gone. None of it hurt, anymore. But he’d known Marie would land the final blow. He’d _known-_

When it all stopped, when the thunder broke in Marie: when the lightning leaked out of every ounce of her, it traveled up and out and all around her. And when she turned- Death, when she turned to look at him, when Unagi’s soul was nothing but a molten orb giving off static electricity from beside her, when Marie was glowing with all the power of a freshly hit lightning rod-

He thought she looked like a storm contained in a woman. Like all the energy couldn’t even be contained in one body, that it had to jumble out of her.

Her eye was eviscerated, he realized, hazily. And when she touched him, yanked the glass from his shoulders and yelled, panic and fear and worry and- if he read her lips- ‘I’ll get you- out- here- stay- me’-

Inside of him, there was a painful, broken pang that came from something other than injuries. He was the Meister. He should have been keeping her safe and he failed- every breath was shorter, bringing him closer to death and- he made himself- the promise- it was broken and her eye-

Gone. Her eye.

But, God help him, _God help him_ , when she looked at him, more storm cloud than woman: when she hauled him up, determination in her only remaining eye, sharing her energy with him through a one sided resonance, jump starting his heart with every flicker of electricity she gave off, looking at him with blood and flesh on her face, ash upon her cheeks from Unagi’s ruined body, the eviscerated chunks of her eye falling away to reveal the dark socket-

_God._ She had never been more beautiful—in the way one finds every force of nature beautiful, both deadly and awe-inspiring and _indescribable_ —than then.

And he thought, just before he went under, that this, that _she_ , was what true Gods looked like.

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 of SteinMarie Week: Thunderstorm


End file.
